Brett Okamoto Oct 23, 2026, 09:00 AM ET

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Brett Okamoto has reported on mixed martial arts and boxing at ESPN since 2010. He has covered all of the biggest events in combat sports during that time, including in-depth interviews and features with names such as Dana White, Khabib Nurmagomedov, Conor McGregor, Nate Diaz, Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao and Georges St-Pierre. He was also a producer on the 30 for 30 film: "Chuck and Tito," which looked back at the careers and rivalry of Chuck Liddell and Tito Ortiz. He lives in Las Vegas, and is an avid, below-average golfer in his spare time.

LAS VEGAS -- The UFC Performance Institute is nearly empty as Merab Dvalishvili wraps up his final round of sparring on a Saturday afternoon. He has been going for hours, switching among three partners after each five-minute round. Except for Dvalishvili's team, the place is deserted -- not because it's a slow day, but because it's technically closed.…